She at once dreaded and desired Warricombe’s appearance.  If he thought it worth while to cultivate her acquaintance, she would henceforth have the opportunity of studying Peak’s relations with the Warricombes; on the other hand, this was to expose herself to suffering and temptation from which the better part of her nature shrank with disdain.  That she might seem to have broken the promise voluntarily made to Godwin was a small matter; not so the risk of being overcome by an ignoble jealousy.  She had no overweening confidence in the steadfastness of her self-respect, if circumstances were all on the side of sensual impulse.  And the longer she brooded on this peril, the more it allured her.  For therewith was connected the one satisfaction which still remained to her:  however little he desired to keep her constantly in mind, Godwin Peak must of necessity do so after what had passed between them.  Had but her discovery remained her own secret, then the pleasure of commanding her less pure emotions, of proving to Godwin that she was above the weakness of common women, might easily have prevailed.  Now that her knowledge was shared by others, she had lost that safeguard against lower motive.  The argument that to unmask hypocrisy was in itself laudable she dismissed with contempt; let that be the resource of a woman who would indulge her rancour whilst keeping up the inward pretence of sanctity.  If she erred in the ways characteristic of her sex, it should at all events be a conscious degradation.

‘Have you seen that odd creature Malkin lately?’ she asked of Christian, a day or two after.

’No, I haven’t; I thought of him to make up our dinner on Sunday; but you had rather not have him here, I daresay?’

‘Oh, he is amusing.  Ask him by all means,’ said Marcella, carelessly.

’He may have heard about Peak from Earwaker, you know.  If he begins to talk before people’——­

‘Things have gone too far for such considerations,’ replied his sister, with a petulance strange to her habits of speech.

‘Well, yes,’ admitted Christian, glancing at her.  ’We can’t be responsible.’

He reproached himself for this attitude towards Peak, but was heartily glad that Marcella seemed to have learnt to regard the intriguer with a wholesome indifference.

On the second day after Christmas, as they sat talking idly in the dusking twilight, the door of the drawing-room was thrown open, and a visitor announced.  The name answered with such startling suddenness to the thought with which Marcella had been occupied that, for an instant, she could not believe that she had heard aright.  Yet it was undoubtedly Mr. Warricombe who presented himself.  He came forward with a slightly hesitating air, but Christian made haste to smooth the situation.  With the help of those commonplaces by which even intellectual people are at times compelled to prove their familiarity with social usages, conversation was set in movement.